🔗 Share this article Israel Strike Hezbollah Military Leader in Beirut Operation Israeli forces allegedly attacked the chief of staff of the Lebanese Iran-backed group the Hezbollah organization in a strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, per the Israeli prime minister's office on the weekend. This marked the first airstrike in several months on the southern suburbs of the capital city, an area renowned for housing Hezbollah officials. Objective Identified as Ali Tabtabai The focus of the operation was the military official the Hezbollah chief of staff, according to an source from Israel briefed on the incident and a Lebanese security source. The prime minister's office did not reveal whether the official was eliminated. American Alert Details A senior US official indicated that Israel did not alert the US administration prior about the operation, as mentioned in a social media post. The official noted that the US government was alerted following the strike, and a second senior US official mentioned that the US had had information for days that Israeli forces was intending to intensify operations in the country. History on the Military Leader The United States levied restrictions on the Hezbollah official in recent years, labeling him as a prominent Hezbollah military leader and offering a bounty of up to five million dollars for information on him. Attack Particulars and Consequences The airstrike impacted a main road in Beirut's southern suburbs, where residents reported detecting the noise of warplanes before the detonation. Residents hurried out of their apartment buildings out of apprehension of further strikes, as stated by a reporter in the region. No fewer than two individuals were killed and two dozen were injured and rushed to medical facilities in the area, according to health officials. There was no prompt response from the group. Recent Israel's Campaign Attacks by Israel on the Lebanese faction over the last two years have killed its previous chief the group's past leader, much of the high-ranking commanders and about thousands of militants. Comments from Prime Minister The Israeli leader addressed his cabinet on the morning of the incident before the attack that the country would carry on to fight “terrorism” on various arenas. “Our efforts will persist to do all that is required to hinder Hezbollah from restoring its ability to threaten us,” he said. Wider Situation Israeli forces has stepped up airstrikes in southern Lebanon, pressing a initiative of frequent strikes that it states is aimed to block a resurgence of forces by Hezbollah in the frontier region. Israel has alleged the group of seeking to rearm since a truce supported by the US last year. The group says it has complied with conditions for it to cease its military presence in the boundary zone near Israel, and for the national army to station there.